


Fault

by pressdbtwnpages



Category: Disney RPF, Jonas Brothers
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-12-06
Updated: 2010-12-06
Packaged: 2017-10-17 19:00:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,232
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/180171
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pressdbtwnpages/pseuds/pressdbtwnpages
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Joe feels responsibility for Demi falling apart.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Fault

Joe has been telling himself since he started dating Demi, since he first saw that they weren’t clicking, that she was clinging and eager and he just wanted to hold his best friend close and shut out the world, that this isn’t his fault.

That she kissed him. That she talked too publically. That she fell to fast.

He feels bad when he breaks up with her, when she’s upset, when they have to tour together and promote the movie, when there’s a cold space where his giggly friend used to be and his giggly friend is pressed up against his brother. He feels bad, but this isn’t his fault.

Joe lost something in this too. People seem to forget. He lost a girlfriend, a best friend, and weirdly, somehow, a little bit, his brother as well. He doesn’t think it’s out of line to go making new friends, and if he clicks quickly with a gorgeous movie star then that’s not his fault. These things happen sometimes, Joe can’t help that.

Maybe it’s a mistake, inviting Ashley to hang out on tour. But Joe asked Demi, asked Nick to ask Demi who told Nick to tell Joe that it was fine. It isn’t Joe’s fault Demi apparently lied.

But they make it through the North America leg of tour and things seem to be fine. Sometimes Demi even smiles at him when they duet. And from what he’s picked up of tour gossip, Demi may have found someone new herself. It’s not Joe’s fault if Demi kind of has bad taste in men, aside from him of course, likes them older and tattooed and with a dangerous streak.

*

Things are different when tour picks up again. They seem good, energetic, and of course Ashley’s around a lot, which kind of makes Joe’s whole world sparkle, but even that’s not enough to hide the fact that things are wrong.

Demi’s not around as much, she avoids them all, except Nick when he seeks her out. She’s angry a lot. Their duets are awkward again, strange. She won’t meet Joe’s eyes when they sing, and it’s not his fault he’s not good enough of an actor to pull off everything looking like it’s okay.

Still. When Demi hits Alex and then the whole ugly knot Demi has been holding herself in begins to unravel, it starts to feel just a tiny bit like maybe it’s Joe’s fault.

He sees the way the dancers, the crew, even the band look at him now, quick and then away. It hurts. Not even the judgement, so much as the idea that Demi’s been hurting herself, really hurting herself, because of him.

He really loves Demi like a sister, he explains to Ashley as they lay together curled up and sticky under just a sheet. He doesn’t want her to hurt. He certainly doesn’t want to be the reason she’s hurting.

Ashley shushes him, assures him that none of this is his fault, and Joe lets himself believe her.

*

It’s harder to believe Ashley’s words, her kind platitudes, when she’s gone.

Everyone’s still looking at Joe funny, like he’s going to be the next to break and he doesn’t know why he should. None of this is his fault.

Only it is, it is, what was he thinking, him and Demi? She was 17, she’s still so much a kid. He thinks of her as a sister, but if anyone had treated Nick the way he treated Demi, Joe would have had them killed. Just thinking about Kim Kardashian flirting with Nick makes him want to strangle something. Joe has money, he’s twitter friends with Pete Wentz, Pete probably knows someone who knows how to put out a hit. But instead Joe’s that creepy old pressure-y heartbreaker. It’s agonizing to realize that Joe is Demi’s Kim Kardashian. Only worse because at least Nick has an ounce of sense!

This whole thing. Demi is in rehab because of Joe. It’s his fault and everyone is so busy walking on eggshells - like Dad and Kevin - or avoiding him like the plague he is - like Nick - that Joe doesn’t even really have anyone to talk to.

After the third sleepless night and feigning that he’s just been getting up early, Joe sneaks into Nick’s room long after he should be asleep.

He climbs into bed, slides himself in behind Nick, and falls asleep in no time at all.

*

When Joe wakes up, Nick is fully dressed and glaring at him. “What? You couldn’t handle sleeping alone for a whole week?”

Joe’s surprised at the venom in Nick’s voice, at the accusation at all.

“It’s not that, Nick.” Joe sounds so defeated, but he guesses that’s about how he feels.

“Oh?” Nick’s face is impassive.

“I haven’t been sleeping,” Joe explains.

Nick’s face softens ever so slightly, but again all he says is, “Oh?”

Joe twists at the hotel sheet and looks away from Nick. “I feel guilty. About Demi.”

“Too guilty to sleep?”

Joe shrugs and turns away from Nick. “If I hadn’t hurt her... I shouldn’t have hurt her, Nick.”

“No, you shouldn’t have.” Nick’s hand falls warm and comforting on Joe’s bare shoulder. He doesn’t deserve the comfort, doesn’t understand why Nick is offering it. “But Joe, this isn’t your fault. We both know Demi’s been messed up for a long time.”

Nick isn’t wrong, exactly. Joe isn’t blind, he’d seen the marks. Gone out with her. But he also knows rebellion, knows that confronting someone isn’t always the right move. Still. “I should have said something.”

“And lost her sooner?” Nick asks skeptically. He takes his hand from Joe’s shoulder, and Joe instantly misses the touch, but Nick’s coming around the bed, laying down facing Joe. “We all made mistakes with Dem, Joe. But this isn’t anyone’s fault.”

“I-”

“She and Selena fought. I didn’t stand up for her as much as I should have. Dad didn’t let her out of this tour. You broke her heart. Ashley kept tagging along on tour. But none of that broke Demi. She was already broken.”

Nick looks so sad, so distraught that it breaks Joe’s heart again. They all failed Demi, and Nick hates to lose. Especially when it matters.

They’re close already, so Joe doesn’t have to move mush when he kisses Nick, just a quick closed mouth peck to say around the lump in his throat that Nick isn’t at fault either.

He kisses Nick again to say thank you for the forgiveness. And another kiss to forgive Nick, abandoning Joe, however briefly. And then Nick’s kissing back, little significant pecks that Joe could probably decipher if he tried, but he’s more interested in pulling Nick closer, closer, closest and slotting their dicks together. Joe arches against his brother over and over again as their cocks harden and their kisses turn into moans. Nick’s gripping Joe’s shoulders so hard there will be marks but it’s okay because Joe’s fingers are digging into Nick’s hips.

It’s almost a surprise when Joe comes. The sex had been secondary in his mind to pain and forgiveness and Nick. He keeps thrusting forward, though he’s too sensitive and it kind of stings, until Nick’s coming and coming down, panting and petting at Joe’s hair panting “Not your fault, not your fault,” like a mantra until Joe thinks he’ll never forget again.


End file.
